Let’s get to the heart of it!

The real reason I started a blog is the following: I almost 29 years old and single. I was tired of bemoaning my single status, especially as a Mormon where marriage is stressed (in my opinion rightly so- but that is for another post) so I decided to do something about it. I didn’t know what that “it” would be till I came back from a failed exploratory trip of Austin TX where I had considered moving. Sitting in my dining room with my mother I recounted a story I heard on Facebook. The story told was of an old woman being interviewed about her life. She sat in very plush apartment in New York while the interview took place. The tale consisted of only a short few paragraphs but no matter how short the story, stories can change your life and this one changed mine. It discussed how she and her best friend were about to board a ship to Paris for a semester of school and their fiance/boyfriends came to see them off. Her best friend’s boyfriend told her friend that if she got on the boat their relationship was finished. So she stayed behind. Likewise this woman’s fiance decided to make the same demand. She told him. “Good.” got on the boat, explored Paris, and lived an amazing life. Telling my mother of this story I sat back and thought- well…why not me? I didn’t want to wait around and waste my life waiting for a man- especially a man that I haven’t even met yet. So…why not do something crazy- live in Europe? As I went up and took a shower that day the idea stuck and cemented until I became confident, after months of praying, that this was something that I needed and was supposed to do. I am in the fortunate position to be able to work anywhere in the world that has internet access, courtesy of my father- who is also my employer. So why not Europe? Why not? Energized from the story I had recounted I no longer cared that there were going to be very few opportunities to date and form a relationship and considering my so-called “advanced” age I knew I should be creating opportunities to date not smashing them. So what would I do instead? I would embrace this trip, give dating the proverbial finger, and live my life saying “good” in the process.

I walked down stairs, told my mom I decided to go to Europe, asked my father, and in the space of three days I made a flight for London. I depart in January 2015. Clicking on “purchase flight” button felt strongly like the first time I went repelling and sat down into nothing but air. It was a rush to say the least, but my giving myself over six months of time to make the plans and was supposed to help me not stress (what a joke- haha- so not funny anymore… 😦 ) This decision was made in June and it is now the end of August and what a roller coaster this decision has been and what a chore planning it has been. I am now scheduled to go for six months and visit 11 countries- not really living any more but certainly traveling. There are so many ups and downs that I will expound upon. But needless to say- I am forging my future- one crazy idea at a time. This blog for now will mainly be about that- so if you wish to see this crazy life mission play out- feel free to join me. I will express things that I learned, things that I wish I knew about, as well as thoughts and feeling- all in all- I need all the blessings that I can get- so send them my way.